Clean-out for pipes



NOV. 8, 1932. MlKALsEN 1,887,321

CLEAN-OUT FOR PIPES Filed Aug. 28, 1931 :IIII-Ih I I 20 l WITNESSESPatented Nov. 8, 1932 UNITED STATES RANDOLF A. MIKALSEN, OF BROOKLYN,NEW YORK CLEAN-OUT FOB PIPES Application filed August 28, 1931.

An object of the invention is to provide a clean-out for pipes which isinexpensive to manufacture and which may be conveniently used to removeobstructions in pipes and conduits.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed in which a body member may be movedagainst an obstruction, andjaws mounted on the body 30 member may be moved forwardly to close inthe front of the body member to grip the obstruction which has beenengaged by the body member.

Still another object of the invention is to mount the jaws on a bodymember having sides with ends, the sides being connected by a webportion with curved ends which assist the movement of the device aroundbends in the pipe or conduit.

The invention furthermore comprehends a clean out for pipes in whichresilient means are provided to rotate and close the jaws on pivotalmeans connecting the jaws with the body member, a catch held inoperative osi- 9.5 tion by a trigger being provided to hol the jaws inopen position and means being provided to pull the trigger to permit theescape of the jaws from the catch.

Additional objects of the invention will appear in the followingspecification in which the preferred form of the invention is described.

In the drawing similar reference characters refer to similar parts inall the views in which- Figure 1 shows a section of a pipe in which thedevice is positioned.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a cross section of the pipe showing the forward end View ofthe device.

By referring to the drawing, it will be seen that the body member 5 hasa web 6 which connects the sides 7; the edges of the ends 8 of the sides7 are converged, as best illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawing, and theedges of the web 6 also converge at the ends 9 of the said web member 6.This construction is provided so that the body member 5 may move readilythrough the interior of a Serial No. 559,970.

pipe or conduit 10 and around bends and curves in the said pipe orconduit.

Mounted on the body member 5, there are two jaws 11, one of these jaws11 being disposed at each side of the web member 6, the aws belngplvoted at 12 to the sides 7 of the body member 5. The pivots 12 aredisposed near the forward end 13 of the body member 5 so that when the'aw members are in open position they may e disposed as shown by thefull lines in Figure 2 of the drawing, but when the jaw members are inclosed pos1- tion, they may extend in front of the forward end of theweb member 6, as illustrated by the dotted lines in the said figure.Springs 14 are mounted on the pivots 12 and the ends of these springsengage the web 6 and the jaws 11 to move the jaws 11 to closed position.

The web 6 has a guide slot 15 in which is disposed a catch 16, the catch16 having flanges 17 engaging the opposite sides of the web 6, the catch16 also having ends 18 which are positioned for holding the jaws 11 inopen position. It will be seen by referring to Figure 2 of the drawingthat the ends 18 have diverging edges 19 which engage the jaws 11 sothat when the catch 16 is not pressed in the direction of the jaws 11,the springs 14 will serve to move the jaws to free the jaws from thecatch 16, and to coiitinue to move the jaws to closed position, asillustrated by the dotted lines in Figure 2 of the drawing.

Pivoted to the web 6 of the body member 5 at 20 there is a trigger 21which is posi- 5 tioned to engage the catch 16 and hold the catch inoperative osition with the jaws 11 in open position. ecured to thistrigger 21, there is a lanyard 22, and secured to the body member 5,there is a flexible member 23, so that the body member 5 may be moved inthe pipe or conduit 10 by the flexible member 23, and when the forwardedge of the web 6 engages the obstruction 24 in the pi e or conduit 10,the lanyard 22 may be pul ed, which will free the trigger from the catch16, thereby permitting the jaws 11 to move the catch 16 rearw'ardly, andthe jaws to move to closed position and to grip the obstruction 24. Thebody member 5 may then be withdrawn from the pipe or conduit 10 carryingwith it the obstruction or a portion thereof when, if necessary, thedevice may be used again to withdraw all portions of the obstruction.

What is claimed:

1. In a device of the class described, a body member havinga projectionfor engaging an obstruction at its forward end, aws movably mounted onthe body member, means movable relatively to the projection for holdingthe jaws at the rear of the forward edge of the body member, means formoving the jaws forwardly for engaging the obstruction at the front ofthe body member, and means for releasing the first mentioned means.

2. In a device of the class described, a body member having a projectionfor engaging an obstruction at its forward end, jaws movably mounted onthe body member, means movable relatively to the projection for holdingthe jaws at the rear of the forward edge of the body member, resilientmeans for moving the aws forwardly for engaging the obstruction at thefront of the body member, and means for releasing the first mentioned.means.

3. In a device of the class described, a body member for engaging anobstruction at its forward end, jaws movably mounted on the body member,means for holding the jaws at the rear of the forward edge of the bodymember, means for moving the jaws forwardly for engaging the obstructionat the front of the body member, a flexible member secured to the bodymember for moving the body member in a pipe and a lanyard secured to thefirst mentioned means for operating the latter.

4. In a device of the class described, a body member having a projectionfor engaging an obstruction at its forward end, jaws pivoted to the bodymember for movement from" positions at the rear of the forward end ofthe body member to positions at the front of the said forward end,resilient means for moving the aws forwardly, a trigger means movablerelatively to the body member for holding the jaws rearwardly of thesaid forward end, a flexible member secured to the body member formoving the latter in a pipe and means to operate the trigger means.

5. In a device of the class described, a body member having sidesconnected by a web portion, the edges of the sides and the web portionconverging at their ends, two jaws, one mounted at each side of the webportion, and means to move the jaws together to grip an obstruction.

6. In a device of the class described, a body member having sidesconnected by a web portion, the edges of the sides and the web portionconverging at their ends, two jaws, one mounted at each side of the webportion, and means to move the jaws from the rear of the forward end ofthe body member to closed position in front of the said forward end.

7 In a device of the class described, a body member having sidesconnected by a web portion, the edges of the sides and the web portionconverging at their ends, two jaws, one pivoted at each side of the webportion, resilient means for holding the jaws in closed position, andmeans for holding the jaws in open position.

8. In a device of the class described, a body member having sidesconnected by a web portion, the edges of the sides and the web portionconverging at their ends, two jaws, one pivoted at each side of the webportion, resilient means for holding the aws in closed position, meansfor holding the jaws in open position, a flexible member secured to thebody member, and a lanyard secured to the second mentioned means foroperating the latter.

9. In a device of the class described, a body member having sidesconnected by a web portion, the edges of the sides and the web portionconverging at their ends, two jaws, one disposed at each side of the webportion, the

jaws being pivoted to the sides, resilientmeans for holding the jaws inclosed position, and means for holding the jaws in open position.

10. In a device of the class described, a body member having a guideway,two jaws movably mounted on the body member, resilient means for holdingthe jaws in closed position, a catch movable in the guideway and havingmeans for holding the jaws in open position,a trigger mounted on thebody member for holding the catch in operative position, a flexiblemember secured to the body member and means for freeing the trigger fromthe catch to permit the jaws to close.

11'. In a device of the class described, a body member having a web witha guideway and sides, two jaws, one disposed at each side of the web,the jaws being pivoted to the sides, resilient means for moving the jawsto closed position, a. catch movable in the guideway and having meansfor holding the jaws in open position, a trigger mounted on the bodymember for holding the catch in operative position, a flexible membersecured to the body member and means for freeing the trigger from thecatch to permit the jaws to close.

12. In a device of the class described, a body member having a web witha guideway and sides, two jaws disposed one at each side of the web, thejaws being pivoted to the sides and being adapted to move from the rearof the forward portion of the body memher to positions in front of thebody member, resilient means for moving the jaws forwardly to closedposition, a catch movable in the guideway and having means for holdingthe jaws in open position, a trigger mounted on the body member forholding the catch in operative position, a flexible member secured tothe b y member and means for freeing the trigger from the catch topermit the jaws to close.

a 13. In a device of the class described, a body havin sides connectedby a web, there being a gui ewa in the web, the ends of the edges of theweb and the sides conver g, two jaws disposed one at each side 0 theweb, the jaws being pivoted to the sides and being adapted to move fromthe rear of the forward rtion of the body member to positions in ront ofthe bod member, resilient means for moving the aws forwardly to closedposition, a catch movable in the guideway and having means for holdingthe jaws in open position, a trigger mounted on the body member forholding the catch in opera- I tive position, a flexible member securedto the body member and means for freeing the trigger from the catch topermit the jaws to close.

14. In a device of the class described, a body member having sidesextending at an angle to and connected by a web, two jaws,

one movably disposed at each side of the web, the jaws being disposedbetween the sides to prevent the contact of the jaws with the walls of apipe when the device is moved through the pipe, and means to move thejaws forwardly to closed position.

15. In a device of the class described, a body having sides connected bya web portion, the edges of the sides of the web portion converging attheir ends, two jaws 85 mounted on the body, and means to move the jawstogether to grip an obstruction.

16. In a device of the class described, a body having sides connected bya web portion, the edges of the sides of the web portion converging attheir ends, two jaws mounted on the body, means to move the jawstogether to grip an obstruction, and a flexible member secured to thebody member for moving the latter in a pipe RANDOLF A. MIKALSEN.

